William Bennet StevensonWilliam Bennet Stevenson was a British explorer. He spent many years in South America during the Spanish-American War of Independence, and he authored a book about his experiences and observations. Stevenson is supposed to have been born about 1787, ut nothing is known about his early years. In 1803 he landed on the coast of Chile's Araucanía province, which was only inhabited by indigenous people, with the goal of traveling throughout the country. On his way to Arauco, he was taken as a prisoner under the excuse that war had broken out between Spain and England. He was sent to Concepción, Callao, and Lima, where he was imprisoned for eight months. His liberty was gradually increased, and he was allowed to live in town and travel to other provinces. Stevenson became private secretary to Manuel Ruiz Urriés de Castilla, Quito's president and captain-general, in 1808, and joined the insurgents when the Ecuadorian War of Independence began. In December 1810, he was named governor of Esmeraldas with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1818, Lord Cochrane arrived in South America and became a Chilean citizen, commanding the Chilean navy during the Chilean War of Independence. Stevenson became his secretary and participated in several of his naval operations. After spending twenty years in South America, Stevenson returned to England about 1824. Read More Read Less